Online services are under constant attack by automated procedures engineered by malicious entities. In some instances, these automated attacks may attempt to log into legitimate user accounts (e.g., using brute force) or may attempt to push legitimate users away from online goods and resource (e.g., by beating them to online sales).
Many online services respond to such threats by implementing protocols that require users to verify that they are human before allowing them to complete certain tasks. Traditional protocols may involve a question and answer sequence that requires users to recognize an image (e.g., a CAPTCHA image) and submit information describing the content included within the image. However, sometimes these images may be difficult for users to successfully parse, resulting in failed verification attempts and user frustration. Furthermore, on smaller nonstandard devices (e.g., cellular phones, wearables, etc.), the use of these traditional image analysis protocols may be difficult or infeasible (e.g., if the image is difficult to display or view due to the small size of the device's screen).
The size of a small device may also make traditional authentication protocols cumbersome or difficult. For example, authentication protocols that require users to submit passwords may be difficult to complete from devices that are not coupled to keyboards. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies a need for improved systems and methods for verifying the humanness and/or identity of users, especially in instances in which the size of a user's device makes traditional methods inconvenient or infeasible.